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[planar1280]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/enterta...-controversy-with-olympic-gold-digging-shirt/


Is everyone just offended by everything?

Nike is in hot water over a new Olympics t-shirt they’ve released, especially since it’s only being offered for women.
The plain black shirt boldly states “Gold Digger” across the chest. The product was intended to reference aspiring to win an Olympic gold medal, but some Facebook and Twitter users would beg to differ.
“Sort of undermines the strong woman image Nike has spent $$ to market,” said one Twitter user.
“Whoever thought a Nike t’shirt emblazoned with ‘GOLD DIGGING’ was a fitting tribute to female Olympians shuld be fired,” said another.
Even the product description on WorldSoccerShop.com acknowledges the underlying tone behind the slogan. “We aren’t saying they’re gold diggers – we’re just saying they’re out for the gold! What’s wrong with that?”
Nike stands by the shirt. In a statement released to ABC News, the company said: “Nike has consistently supported female athletes and the position they enjoy as positive role models. The t-shirt uses a phrase in an ironic way that is relevant given it was released just as the world focused on the success of female athletes.”

Shirt:

 

[jerry1594]

I agree with them given the context.

 

[SimleuqiR]

WOW.

 

[ajf009]

I agree with them given the context.

nike or the people criticizing?

 

[tiff]

It's a play on words. People get offended over anything these days.

 

[Eight Diagram Bat Fighter]

“Whoever thought a Nike t’shirt emblazoned with ‘GOLD DIGGING’ was a fitting tribute to female Olympians shuld be fired,”

The dude who made this is getting a promotion if anything. Welcome to marketing where bad press is $$$

 

[shira]

I think it refers to the IOC

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

In before Kanye.

Yeah, not sure this is what I'd push for the Olympics. Hmm.

 

[Malvolio]

You would think they would actually get the shirt's text correct.

 

[Genesis Knight]

Kudos to Nike for not backpedaling on the design. It's pretty funny.

 

[echoshifting]

Tasteless and wrongheaded but not really worth outrage.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Nike does support female athletes and a healthy body image thorugh exercise really well though.

 

[Skellig Gra]

People act like gold diggers aren't a real thing.

 

[SUPREME1]

What's the problem. It's a on words.


If anything, it reinforces the strong female image Nike has pushed. A woman jogging at 6:00a, working her ass off... going for the gold.

 

[out0v0rder]

nike uses child labor and people get their panties in a bunch over this?

 

[Viewt]

Yeah, this seems silly. You have to make broad jokes when you're trying to be funny in advertising. Otherwise no one gets it.

 

[Dali]

It's making a joke by changing the meaning of a phrase with a well-known negative connotation. Besides it's just an exercise t-shirt. If you don't like it don't wear it.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Oh my god so offensive

 

[tapedeck]

Went in here thinking these were for the women's volleyball team.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

It's a play on words. People get offended over anything these days.

A play on words that isn't very flattering to female athletes.

I wouldn't have a problem with it if Nike weren't acting like it's "empowering" or whatever. As a slogan it's kind of funny (probably should have actually put a medal or something on it, a month from now no one is going to get the reference, especially with it looking all ghetto fabulous), but as a way "support female athletes" it's pretty lame.

Yeah, this seems silly. You have to make broad jokes when you're trying to be funny in advertising. Otherwise no one gets it.

Or maybe if your stated purpose to pay tribute to a group of people you could quite with the jokes for the one shirt. I don't think Nike is really known for their hilarious t-shirts anyway.

 

[Espresso]

Big deal.

 

[Mudkips]

Tasteless like shirts/shorts that say "slut" and "lol I'm a total bitch!" and such on them.

Clever.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

nike uses child labor and people get their panties in a bunch over this?

.

 

[shira]

Nike does support female athletes and a healthy body image thorugh exercise really well though.

Have you ever seen a Plus size Nike model/ad?
Maybe NFL lineman or whatever - but in their portrayal of women in general it is thin-is-in

 

[MVP]

wow I have to get my girl one of these...clever tagline

 

[HamPster PamPster]

It thinks its dumb to get upset given the obvious context but I also think its a dumb slogan

I'll just say both sides are wrong

 

[Tesseract]

a few weeks ago i saw someone wearing a cumslut baseball jersey. florida is awesome.

 

[Mudkips]

Have you ever seen a Plus size Nike model/ad?

A "plus size" model doesn't support a healthy body image. Being "plus size" isn't healthy.

Nike is an athletics gear company and they show athletic people in their ads, and they manage to do it with a lot more class and a lot less sex than axe body spray or godaddy.com or herbal essences.

 

[SimleuqiR]

nike uses child labor and people get their panties in a bunch over this?

I'm more enraged that there isn't a Man's version.

We dig for gold too.

 

[patapuf]

Have you ever seen a Plus size Nike model/ad?
Maybe NFL lineman or whatever - but in their portrayal of women in general it is thin-is-in

why would a sports company that promotes regular exersize use plus sized models?

 

[dskillzhtown]

I swear people wake up and look for stuff to get offended by. It's a play on words that isn't meant to be taken as seriously as some people are taking it. If the women who won gold in the Olympics aren't upset by it, not sure why anyone else should be.

 

[Duane Cunningham]

I like how the article is wrong in the second sentence.

 

[K.Jack]

That's seriously clever. I hope Nike doesn't back down.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

wow I have to get my girl one of these...clever tagline

That's seriously clever. I hope Nike doesn't back down.

Is it? Seems pretty lazy. How often do you hear people say "I'm digging for the gold"? Or digging for anything? I'm not sure I would call "Hey, this popular term has the world gold in it, and people are trying to get gold medals at that one thing! That's a connection!" clever.

But then I guess that's what you get when a company used to just pasting their logo on everything tries to funny.

 

[Milchjon]

Tasteless like shirts/shorts that say "slut" and "lol I'm a total bitch!" and such on them.

Clever.

Hahaha. True.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Have you ever seen a Plus size Nike model/ad?

You mean this one from the Olympics?

http://youtu.be/LsXRj89cWa0

Or this?

 

[shira]

You mean this one from the Olympics?

http://youtu.be/LsXRj89cWa0

Or this?

[IM]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tHQ1gA2brsc/TFMq1kjZRPI/AAAAAAAAFrI/I5hmqKhUTFo/s1600/37549_417830479813_96764484813_4460109_4050082_n.jpg[/IMG]

[IM]http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050818/050818_nike_hmed1p.grid-6x2.jpg[/IMG]

Come on that is nowhere near a BBW.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Come on that is nowhere near a BBW.

Plus sized and BBW are two different categories.

Where is the line drawn?

I think its better, as far as size issues go, that Nike uses ads showing people of different sizes being active.

I suppose you could use morbidly obese people in these ads, but you'd have to insert disclaimers about geting medical advice before beginning an exercise regimen.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

You mean this one from the Olympics?

Haha! Is that a real ad? How exactly does her ass herd other women away from the best clothing deals? Are they intimidated by it? Are they so caught up in thinking thin is beautiful that they're afraid to get near it? Feel like I'm missing something here.

 

[shira]

Plus sized and BBW are two different categories.

Typed that out too fast - there is an argument in there somewhere.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Haha! Is that a real ad? How exactly does her ass herd other women away from the best clothing deals? Are they intimidated by it? Are they so caught up in thinking thin is beautiful that they're afraid to get near it? Feel like I'm missing something here.

Hip checks? I dunno.

When I was a club sports coach we got Nike love because of the women on our team, and they weren't all svelte model/athletes.

 

[Skellig Gra]

The women in that picture is perfectly healthy and normal. Compare her to someone like Serena Williams. Both are very healthy looking.

 

[Roi]

I like how the article is wrong in the second sentence.

Yeah that annoyed me, internet journalism eh.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

Yeah that annoyed me, internet journalism eh.

Love how they quote random Twitter users too, without even crediting them. The author was too lazy to check to see if he had the slogan on the shirt right, what the odds he thought "Eh, these are pretty bland opinions, surely someone's tweeted something like them."

 

[Zia]

Yes, female Olympians, athletes competing in a series of meaningless games sponsored by unethical corporations like Coca-Cola and McDonald's, are somehow besmirched by a silly pun on a t-shirt crafted by tiny hands.

I would never wear it, because I think it's tacky, not offensive. People need to get a grip.

 

[chaostrophy]

I guess it's funny if the woman wearing it is an Olympic athlete or trying to become one. But that's a pretty tiny niche within the market for athletic wear.

 

[ReaperXL7]

Have you ever seen a Plus size Nike model/ad?
Maybe NFL lineman or whatever - but in their portrayal of women in general it is thin-is-in

Why should being overweight, and in a position to create many more health risks for yourself be appluaded? I don't think i'll ever understand the rationalization that being obease is something that should be celebrated.

In reguards to the shirt I don't think it's that big of an issue, my wife thought it was funny, but she commented that she does think it makes sense because these women are in fact digging for gold, I agree that maybe they should have put an olympic medal on the shirt as it probably would have softened the negative reaction to the t-shirt.

Nike is a company that does infact support a strong female imagine in my opinion though in many more ways then a large portion of other companies. They have their issues as with any company, but creating a bad image for strong women I don't think is one.

 

[Choke on the Magic]

What's the problem? It's a play on words. Instead of being a classless tramp on some Bravo reality tv show that spreads here legs for any cock with cash the term is instead refering to female athletes who dedicate themselves to be the best at their sport. Gold Digging is actually a positive thing in this case.

The only people who should be offended are possibly gold digging sluts (Kardashian).

 

[foodtaster]

i swear people are way too sensitive about things.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

I guess it's funny if the woman wearing it is an Olympic athlete or trying to become one. But that's a pretty tiny niche within the market for athletic wear.

90% of the people who buy this shirt (assuming it's sold in stores) won't get the reference. And that'll go up as time passes.

Maybe they're just trying to expand their market, since, especially in America, you're severely limiting your pool of potential customers by marketing yourself as a fitness clothing company. So you have the Nathan ad to get overweight people on board, and this hits the girls who buy those sweatpants that say Sexy across the ass.

What's the problem? It's a play on words. Instead of being a classless tramp on some Bravo reality tv show that spreads here legs for any cock with cash the term is instead refering to female athletes who dedicate themselves to be the best at their sport. Gold Digging is actually a positive thing in this case.
.

The truly empowering part is explaining that to every person you meet. Goals are easier to reach and mindsets are easier to maintain if you are thinking about them often.